U Ko Ko Gyi summoned by police after candidacy announcement
Police issued a summons for U Ko Ko Gyi, leader of the 88 Generation Peace and Open Society soon after news surfaced that he plans to run in the upcoming national election under the National League for Democracy, said police chief Myo Aung from South Okkalapa Township police station on July 20.
Myo Aung said: “U Ko Ko Gyi was summoned to visit the police station on July 22. Police filed a suit against him under Section 19 of the Peaceful Assembly Law in connection with his protest against the construction of a condominium on an existing playground. He has been summoned to come to the police station between 12pm and 1pm in order to face the suit against him.”
The police filed law suits against U Ko Ko Gyi, Dr Saw Naing, U Naing Ko Lin, U Aung Maw (AKA U Sit Aung) and U Myo Khin (AKA Mone Khat) under section 19.
On December 21, 2014, a crowd of local people, including U Ko Ko Gyi, staged a protest against the development of a condominium complex on the playground at the corner of Waizayandar Road and Thitsar Road in the 9th Ward of South Okkalapa Township.
The authorities allowed them to carry out the protest only at a separate protest site in Tamwe Township, even though the demonstrators submitted a protest application. The police denied the protesters permission to protest at the site of the development and filed charges against them in accordance with Section 19.
U Ko Ko Gyi went to the police station on May 22 in response to an initial summons from the police issued on May 21.
U Ko Ko Gyi told reporters he would not get seek bail and would confess and face trial.
On June 15, five people, including U Ko Ko Gyi, went to the South Okkalapa Township court in response to another police summons. They left the court after 30 minutes after learning that the judge they were meant to see had a conflicting meeting.
“I have publicly announced that I will engage in the parliamentary politics. The reason is that I want to expose people’s losses and protect their opportunities. Exposing the confiscation of state-owned land by a political party amounts to doing parliamentary politics. I am not thinking about parliamentary politics as a special privilege. I want to constantly stand by citizens for their losses and rights. With that in mind, I will act as a politician,” said U Ko Ko Gyi at a press conference at the office of the 88 Generation Peace and Open Society.
There is widespread news that 88 Generation members U Ko Ko Gyi, U Aung Thu, U Pyone Cho, U Nyan Lin, U Panneik Tun, U Zaw Zaw Min, Ma Mi Mi, Ma Thet Thet Aung, Ma Mar Mar Oo, U Mya Aye and U Aung Aung Kyaw will run in the 2015 election.
Also running under the NLD list are Dr Thein Lwin from the National Network for Education Reform (NNER); Dr Aung Thu, rector of Yangon University; Dr Than Win, former rector of the University of Medicine (Mandalay); Ma Zin Mar Aung from the Yangon School of Political Science (YSPS); and Yangon Region MP Dr Nyo Nyo Thin.
Dr Saw Naing, one of demonstrators facing charges along with U Ko Ko Gyi, lost the race for South Constituency No 1, South Okkalapa Township, in the 2010 general election.
Some have speculated that the police are summoning U Ko Ko Gyi for a protest that took place months ago as a pretext to impede his preparations for the coming election.
The Former Political Prisoners Society (FPPS) issued an announcement on July 15, urging political leaders and parliamentarians to call for the release of political prisoners and detainees facing trial for similar charges. CR. ELEVEN MEDIA